


A very Malfoy summer

by QueenOfTacky



Series: It's not easy, being a Malfoy. [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Draco Malfoy cooking, Engagement, Established Relationship, Fluff and Humor, Good Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Harry teaches them, Humor, M/M, Malfoy Manor, Malfoys know nothing about Muggles, Post-War, Summer, The Burrow (Harry Potter), but he's no good, job hunting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:34:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24319672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenOfTacky/pseuds/QueenOfTacky
Summary: Harry and Draco spend the summer at Malfoy Manor, because Narcissa is convinced they need to be taught how not to starve to death. Includes jars of mysterious white substances that definitely don't belong on top of pies, Draco Malfoy having a meltdown about Muggle toilets and Narcissa becoming a train fanatic.
Relationships: Arthur Weasley/Molly Weasley, Dean Thomas/Ginny Weasley, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley
Series: It's not easy, being a Malfoy. [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1755715
Comments: 2
Kudos: 39





	A very Malfoy summer

Draco and Harry spent their first post-Hogwarts weekend locked inside Grimmauld Place 12, blissfully ignorant to the world around them, apart from a one-time visit to a nearby café for lunch on Saturday. Sunday night, after dark, they packed their essentials, threw Harry’s invisibility cloak over them, locked the door with every protective enchantment that came to mind and went on to apparate outside the gates of Malfoy Manor. Standing there, Harry concluded that it was a rather magnificent house and it really made a lasting impression, if one was there on their own free will and not being dragged in by a hoard of snatchers, possibly being led to their death.

‘Ready for this?’ Draco asked warily.

‘As ready as I’ll ever be’ Harry smiled and they went through the gate, holding hands.

Narcissa was already at the entrance, door open, looking outside for them. As soon as she saw the two figures approaching, she ran towards them hugging them and practically dragging them inside.

‘Jesus, mom, let go!’ Draco was trying to escape his mother’s grip. ‘I’m not twelve!’

‘Oh, Drakey, you’ll always be my little baby boy. What took you so long anyway? I was worried sick!’

‘Could you stop embarrassing me for a second? And please, refrain from calling me that in front of my fiancée!’ Draco was clearly uncomfortable with the sudden outburst of motherly emotions.

‘Oh, come on, Draco, your mother hasn’t seen you in almost a year!’ Harry loosened. He didn’t want to admit it out loud, but ever since it was decided they were going to spend the summer with Narcissa, he was a little worried about how she would receive him. It was one thing to support her son’s relationship while they were miles away at Hogwarts, after all, but welcoming them into her home was a whole different cup of tea. But her reaction to their arrival gave Harry hope it would all be just fine.

‘ _Et tu, Brute, contra me?_ ’ Draco glared at Harry with mock disgust. ‘I should’ve known you two would gang up on me!’

‘Wait a second…’ Narcissa looked at them warily ‘Did I just hear you refer to Harry as your fiancée?’

‘Well, actually, yes…’ Draco looked at his feet, suddenly subdued.

‘Draco Lucius Malfoy, do you mean to tell me that you have proposed and it was not the first thing out of your mouth when you saw me?!’

‘I wanted to tell you, but you made so much fuss over us arriving home after dark that I didn’t even have a chance! And how do you even know I did it and not Harry?’

‘Draco, please. I’ve known you for eighteen years, I think I can safely judge who was the one to propose.’ She looked at her son clearly amused. ‘Anyway, that’s fantastic! We need to celebrate! It just so happens I might have some elf wine stashed in the cellar and there might or might be a roast beef that is nearly ready! Harry, dear, I trust you like roast?’

‘I do Mrs. Malfoy, thank you.’ Harry smiled.

‘Oh, there’s no need for that. Please, just call me Narcissa.’

They spent the evening in the kitchen, drinking wine and taking like they’ve all been friends for years, like the war never happened. Harry felt safe and happy, laughing along with Draco and his mother, demanding compromising stories from Draco’s childhood that made his boyfriend turn a rather alarming shade of tomato red and stomp off pretending to be mad.

That night, lying in Draco’s bedroom, wrapped in his arms, Harry felt like he might after all fit in with Draco’s family, regardless of what Lucius thought about it – they had a plan, after all, and they didn’t need his approval when all the love Narcissa has shown them so far was more than enough to feel supported.

***

Over the next few days Draco and Harry slowly settled in, becoming more and more helpful around the house. Despite his earlier protests, Draco proved to be rather skilled at cooking, even if he occasionally forgot to put out the fire under their dinner, causing his mother to have to rush in and save it from burning.

It was almost a week later that he decided to try his hand at making dessert. Harry was sitting on a kitchen table, while Draco buried his nose in a rather impressive-looking volume he found at the bottom of one of the cabinets.

‘You look sweet, all domestic like that…’ Harry said smiling.

‘Don’t get used to it, once we both start going to work it’s all food from the food courts. Now, stop distracting me, because I have to focus. Do you know what ‘heavy cream’ is?’

‘Dunno. I told you, I’m rubbish at this sort of thing.’

‘Why am I even with you…?’ Draco sighed but it was obvious he was just joking. ‘So far, I’ve been reduced to a housewife, a rather poor one at that.’

‘You love me, remember? I’m irresistible and you can’t live without me! And so far, you’re yet to poison me, so I suppose it suits you.’ Harry grinned.

‘Oh, you little…’ Draco didn’t finish, because his train of thought suddenly got lost in the sensation of Harry’s lips on his own and being wedged between his boyfriend’s body and the table. ‘Mmmmh, as sweet as you are, I really need to get back to this pie. If we are ever to be let out of here, we need to show my mother that we’re not going to starve to death. Otherwise, it’s living at the Manor for the rest of our lives.’ A couple of minutes and a few loud, clattering noises later Draco emerged from the pantry looking very proud of himself, holding a jar of something white. ‘I think I managed to obtain some cream!’ He exclaimed victoriously. Harry couldn’t help but laugh.

It took him at least a few tries to force the whisk to start whipping the cream by itself – Harry stopped counting how many attempts there were exactly after the third time he’s been hit in the face with it, because Draco sent it flying across the table. Regardless, the cream was being whipped and the crust began to take its form – or at least, _some_ form, because no matter what Draco tried to do with it, it refused to form a uniform ball like it was supposed to, and crumbled into several smaller ones.

‘This is pointless…’ Draco sighed with resignation. ‘I have no idea what I’m doing wrong.’

Harry grabbed the book Draco was working from and began to read. ‘Are you sure all the ingredients are there?’

‘I’m not an idiot, thank you very much. I’ve added flour, eggs, butter and water.’

‘How much exactly though?’

‘I don’t know, how much does it say? I measured, added and then put some water in from the tap.’

‘Draco, you’re supposed to measure EVERYTHING, including water!’

‘Water doesn’t count! It’s water, what is it going to do anyway?’

‘How am I supposed to know? I have never baked in my life! Go add more, I think since this looks dry you might have not used enough.’

‘If you say so. But if this turns into a disaster, it’s your fault!’ With that, Draco ran the tap and poured significantly more water into the bowl. The mixture quickly turned into sort of a mud consistency.

‘Well, not the result I hoped we would achieve…’

‘You say? What do I do now, then?’

‘No idea. Maybe if we add more flour and the rest?’

‘But how much more? I have no idea how to convert this into a workable thing at this point…’

It took them at least 30 minutes to achieve something even remotely similar to what the picture in the book showed. And by that point, hey had what they estimated roughly to be enough dough for at least four pies. Nevertheless, Draco found a pie tin, lined it with their (rather abysmal, he concluded) creation and threw it into the oven. He was determined to make this work, even if it meant running out of all the necessary ingredients. His determination quickly received a swift blow, however, when he turned his attention to what was supposed to be whipped cream by now. It turned out the white substance hasn’t changed whatsoever.

‘Well, the cream is a bust…’ He said dryly.

‘Don’t worry, we’ll manage without it. Go find some fruit and we’ll have a fruit tart today.’ Harry decided to remain optimistic. Draco sighed and went to look for something that might be useful on top of their pie-turned-tart. He returned almost immediately holding up a bunch of bananas looking very pleased with himself.

‘I think this will do! Although, I’m not sure I’m quite ready for making the knife cut by itself, I think it’s safer if I do this by hand…’ It took only a couple of seconds before he cursed loudly enough to alarm half the town. ‘Fuck, I’ve cut myself! How do Muggles even do this and still have all of their fingers?!’

‘They have more practice than you do apparently. Go stick your hand under some running water while I…’ Harry’s statement was interrupted by a sound of doors swinging open when Narcissa ran into the kitchen.

‘What happened? I heard screaming? Have you set something on fire?’

‘No, mother, but thank you for your faith in me.’ Draco was annoyed. ‘I’ve just cut myself.’

‘Come on, give me your hand, I’ll seal this up.’ She looked to the bowl on the table. ‘Draco, dear, why is there a whisk whipping lard…?’

‘Lard? That’s lard? I thought it was cream!’ Draco had such a comically horrified expression on his face that Harry nearly fell of the table laughing.

‘I think we best stick to canned cream for now, Draco…’ He said when he managed to compose himself. ‘That way we at least know what we’re eating.’

‘Canned cream? What on Earth are you talking about?’ Draco, all patched up now, was staring at him in disbelief.

‘Muggle thing. They sell whipped cream in long thin cans that come with a nozzle and you can spray it onto whatever you’re eating, already whipped.’

‘That’s genius! So there’s no need for whisks and bowls?’ Narcissa’s eyes widened. ‘Do they have more things like this?’

‘No need. It just comes out and you’re ready to eat it. And no need to clean anything afterwards. Actually, a lot of Muggle food comes in a can – some of it you don’t spray, like soups for example, you just open the can, plop the soup into a pot and heat it up. Muggles are really big on making food quick to prepare. Take microwave dishes for example…’

‘Micro-what?’ Draco was clearly confused.

‘Microwave. It’s a machine that heats up food. Sort of like an oven, but not as big. You put the food inside, set the time and it comes out warm. Well, mostly at least. Muggles have whole dinners you can put in there. You buy a tray that has for instance some meat, potatoes and peas, you heat it up in the microwave and you’ve got yourself a dinner. Most of the time it doesn’t taste very good, but if you don’t have time, it’s alright.’

‘So this… micro-something, can we get it for ourselves? How do you even get your hands on it?’

‘Well, you buy it in an electronics store. It’s a store that sells household appliances, like cookers, microwaves, vacuums, washing machines…’ He added, noticing the Malfoys’ expressions. ‘But I doubt we could use it for ourselves. I don’t know if Grimmauld Place even has electricity, and besides, magic tends to interfere with Muggle technology – that’s why there is none of it at Hogwarts, even though having a cell phone could be kind of handy at times.’

‘Harry, dear, slow down please. We don’t understand half of what you’re talking about…’ Narcisa was looking somehow ashamed of herself.

‘Ok, fine, I’m sorry. I’ll go slower.’ Harry smiled reassuringly. ‘Where did you get lost?’

‘Somewhere around electricity stores, honestly…’

‘Not _electricity_ , _electronics_. Although you were close with that one.’ Harry supressed a laugh. ‘As I said, they sell all different kinds of things that run on electricity that Muggles use. Like microwaves or vacuum cleaners. A vacuum cleaner is a machine that sucks dirt from your floors. It’s like sweeping, but instead of moving the dirt into one place, gathering it up on something and throwing it out, the dirt gets sucked into the inside of the vacuum by air pressure.’

‘So, how do you clean this thing? Won’t it run out of space at some point?’ Draco was sceptical.

‘No, it has a paper bag inside where the dirt collects. When the bag is full you take it out, throw it out and put a fresh one.’

‘I’m still not convinced it’s better than having a house elf…’

‘Well, you don’t need to use it by yourself. You can have a cleaning person and they would use it in your house.’

‘A _cleaning person_? Like a person in your house that cleans? So, like a human house elf?’

‘Mostly. They usually don’t live with the family like a house elf does, they come in let’s say once a week, or whatever you agree upon, they clean, you pay them for it and they leave.’

‘Oh, I see.’ Narcissa was nodding her head. ‘So it’s just their job to go and clean people’s houses? That doesn’t sound too hard to do…’

‘Well, not for us, because we can just cast a cleaning spell. Muggles have to do everything themselves.’

‘Oh my God, I never thought about that! It must take so much time!’

‘It does. Imagine having to wipe everything down when you just have a cloth, and then you have to clean all your windows manually, vacuum the floors, wash the dishes, scrub the toilets…’

‘TOILETS?!’ Draco looked appalled. ‘With your hands?! Merlin, no way! Never in a million years!’

Harry couldn’t help but laugh. ‘You don’t realize how good you have it until you think what you’d have to go through without magic, do you? I used to have to do all those things back at the Dursleys.’

‘Harry, you poor thing…’ Narcissa was hugging him with tears in her eyes.

‘It’s ok, really. I didn’t know there was any other option back then, so it didn’t bother me.’ Harry smiled. ‘And besides, most kids in the Muggle world have some chores to do around the house, it’s just I had to do most of them.’

‘But that’s slavery!’ Draco exclaimed.

‘Not really. It’s a normal thing there – if the parents are at work for half a day and cleaning by hand takes so much time, the kids have to help out or there would be just work and cleaning all the time. Besides, kids make a mess too, so it’s only fair they lend a hand at cleaning.’

‘You know, Draco, sometimes I think we ought to have introduced some Muggle styles of parenting when you were growing up…’ Narcissa and Harry laughed. Draco looked taken aback for a second, but after a brief consideration, he joined them.

The tarte miraculously turned out pretty decent, despite Draco’s reservations about it, so the three of them spent the rest of the day stuffing their faces with it and cleaning up the mess the boys made (not without some difficulty on their part – Draco managed to send the dishes through the window instead of into the sink and Harry somehow transfigured the rag, that was supposed to wipe the table, into a rather exquisite-looking tablecloth). Harry gave the Malfoys a brief lecture on cell phones (and for the first time Draco appeared to be impressed by Muggle inventions: ‘So it’s like when you use the Floo network to talk to people, but you can use it anywhere you like? That actually sounds useful!’) and washing machines (those, in turn, didn’t impress Narcissa much, since for some reason she was afraid her robes would just end up being sucked into the water pipe and lost forever).

***

It was nearly three weeks into their stay at the Manor, when Harry and Draco finally managed to sit down to discuss their future work plans, both with each other, and with Narcissa.

‘I always wanted to be an Auror.’ Harry said warily one evening, when they were all sitting in the living room drinking wine. He was afraid to admit it to both Draco and his mother – after all, the main job of an Auror was still to hunt down their former allies, so he didn’t know how his aspirations would be received. ‘But now, I don’t know. It feels like it’s not for me anymore, I’m tired of dealing with what happened and besides, you have to be somewhat of a natural born leader to do it, and…’ He looked at Draco hesitantly. Their first real conversation has been about Harry being drained by having to be a leader, and, no matter if they counted that particular time as part of them being together, it was not like it never happened.

‘…And you are a leader, Harry.’ Draco smiled reassuringly. ‘As much as it pains me to admit it, I’ve been wrong about you when we first talked about it. Our time together has showed me that it’s not that you…’ He glanced at Narcissa, clearly not wanting to say too much in front of her. ‘…that you need to follow someone. It’s just the war has exhausted you and you needed time to rest and get back to yourself. But that doesn’t mean you are not a leader.’

‘I think, Harry’ Narcissa interjected ‘that if there was someone to be considered a perfect candidate for an Auror, it’s you. You’ve proven time and time again that you have both skills and determination for it.’

‘Maybe, but…’ Harry didn’t know how to finish this sentence. He knew if he said what he really wanted to say, this conversation and all what they’ve built with both Draco and Narcissa, would come crumbling down.

‘…but you’re afraid how would it look? You being with Draco, while is father is in Azkaban and I’ve been accused, and hunting down what was considered our side?’ Harry had to admit it, Narcissa was really a marvellous psychologist.

‘Well, frankly, yes…’ Harry sighed. ‘But I don’t want you to think that I’m having these doubts for my sake!’ He added hastily. ‘It’s not that I think of you badly, I’m really grateful for your support and all the love you’ve shown me, I really am! To be honest, I saw during the war that neither of you wanted to be there, wanted to do this. I know you’re good people. I just suspect this would bring a lot of attention to you and I don’t think it would be good attention.’ Harry was rapidly turning red. This was not the conversation he wanted to have with his future mother-in-law, ever.

‘Harry, relax.’ To his surprise, Narcissa smiled. ‘I know what we did, I’ve made my peace with it. It doesn’t mean I don’t regret it, I probably will for the rest of my life, but I don’t want you to concern yourself with this. This is not about you, it’s about our mistakes. You’re right, neither me nor Draco ever wanted to stand by Voldemort, we just wanted a peaceful life and we just followed what Lucius believed in. If it makes sense, I stood by my husband, not by who he followed. And I know you’ve forgiven us – if you didn’t, you wouldn’t be here with Draco. And for this, I’ll be eternally grateful. Don’t even think about the press, dear – I can’t be any more hated than I already am, and if anything, if I was cynical enough to try and use you like this, I’d say that you standing by us and continuing your mission at the same time, would only be beneficial.’

‘So… so you’re both ok with this?’

‘Baby, I can’t imagine any other career for you.’ Draco smiled and wrapped his arms around Harry.

‘Of course, Harry. All of us, on that side, deserve at least a trial. Us two included. And all of those who are yet to be captured proved that they deserve to be in Azkaban.’ Narcissa said determinately.

‘It means a lot to have your support in this, honestly.’ Harry smiled, trying to convene how grateful he was. ‘But what about you, Draco? Have you thought about your career?’

‘Um, well…’ Draco was suddenly looking at his hands. ‘I had an idea, but ever since father…’ he looked really lost for a moment. ‘…ever since father’s letter I don’t know if it’s even possible.’

‘What are you talking about?’ Harry was confused as to what on Earth Lucius’ letter from a month ago had to do with anything.

‘Well, I’ve been wanting to look into becoming a healer. You know, I liked Potions and it seems like it would be a good thing for me.’ Draco still didn’t look up at anyone and Harry was understanding less and less from the supposed connection between Lucius acting like an arsehole and Draco wanting to work at St. Mungo’s. ‘But to do that you have to go through a two-year training and from what I’ve been told, the pay is ridiculous. You would have to basically carry me through for two years, I wouldn’t even be able to make a liveable wage for one person, not even with the extra hours they offer. Not to mention, there is no way I would be able to make a meaningful contribution for the both of us. I mean, it was an option when I had that vault at Gringotts’s, but now that it’s gone…’

‘Oh, Draco…’ Harry forced Draco’s chin up. ‘If it’s just about the money, you don’t need to worry about this. I told you, I have some of my own, and we have a decent place to live in London, so we’ll manage. Maybe we won’t be able to go on lavish vacations every year, but it’s not like we’re going to be starving. And I have no problem with supporting us both, not even if it was permanent. You’ll be an excellent healer – you’ve been at the top of the class in Potions for all of Hogwarts, your N.E.W.Ts are excellent and you have one of the best charmwork I have ever seen. Honestly, you could give Hermione a run for her money and that’s all talent – I haven’t seen you practice anything since I’ve known you.’

‘I have practiced _some_ , it’s not like I was doing nothing all those years, you know?’ Draco pouted. ‘I’m not lazy! I just… I just lack sufficient concentration skills to do it for more than 10 minutes.’

Harry laughed. ‘Well, you’ll have to work on your patience then, because it’s not like you’re going to heal everyone within your magical 10-minute time limit.’

‘Then it’s settled.’ Narcissa stated. ‘Harry, you’re applying to the Auror office, and Draco will try at St. Mungo’s. Oh boys, I’m so proud of you both… When did you even become old enough to think about your careers?’ Suddenly, she started crying with emotion.

‘Mum, please…’ Draco groaned.

‘Draco, let me have this one! It’s not every day your only child is about to become an independent adult and move out from under your care. Oh, that reminds me! Now that you’re about to be working citizens, you need new robes! Your school ones won’t be appropriate anymore, we need to go get you two some working-people-attire!’

‘And I have an idea about it…’ Harry’s eyes suddenly had a wicked sparkle. Draco and Narcissa both looked at him slightly afraid. ‘Since I was supposed to teach you about Muggles, we’ll go to London completely by Muggle means!’

‘No! Not a chance! You’ll never force me to do this!’ Draco was flailing his arms comically, protesting. ‘That’s an asinine idea!’

‘You know, Draco, actually it sounds like a wonderful learning opportunity!’ Narcissa exclaimed excitedly.

***

Three days later, Harry, Draco and Narcissa woke up early, ate a hasty breakfast and set to travel to London completely relying on Muggle means of transportation. Draco was still convinced the idea was ridiculous, but he stopped complaining loudly when they were boarding the train from a nearby town. Since neither him, nor his mother have ever dealt with Muggle money (Harry considered himself quite insightful to pack whatever he had left over from years prior, _just in case_ , when they were leaving Grimmauld Place), Harry was tasked with finding a conductor and purchasing the tickets. He ordered Draco and his mother to stay put in their seats and went on to look for the conductor. When he returned, he found Narcissa looking mesmerized by her surroundings, while Draco was sitting on the edge of his seat, utterly uncomfortable.

‘What’s going on, Draco?’ Harry asked, expecting a string of complaints about the speed of the train or the size of the seats (his previous experience with Hagrid taught him that wizards were usually very unimpressed with the time it took to travel the Muggle way).

‘I need to use the toilet…’ Draco looked embarrassed. ‘Do they even have those here or are you supposed to just hold it for hours?’

Harry laughed. ‘It’s just like Hogwarts Express, Draco, there’s one at the back of the carriage. You’ll manage on your own or do I need to come with you?’

‘I think I can manage that particular task by myself, thank you.’ Draco was clearly annoyed, but Harry knew it was just because he was mentally kicking himself for not making the connection between the Muggle train and Hogwarts Express. When the blonde returned, he looked absolutely disgusted. ‘There is a hole in the floor! A _hole_! This is a death trap! Why would they let people on a train that has holes?! We’re all going to die!’ They were lucky it was only them in the compartment, because Draco was screaming at this point.

‘Draco, calm down. It’s supposed to be there. I know it’s disgusting, but that’s how Muggle train toilets work. Everything just goes through the hole onto the tracks.’

‘Oh dear lord, please, tell me you’re joking…’ Draco looked absolutely terrified.

‘I wish. In some newer trains there is sort of a tank underneath, but in older ones that’s just how it works’ Harry shrugged.

The rest of the journey was spent mainly with the two Malfoys listening to Harry explaining how the public transportation in the Muggle world worked. While they were still talking about trains and buses, everything seemed fine, but as soon as they moved on to planes, both Draco and his mother turned completely white.

‘What do you mean _flying_? Without magic? Like, no brooms?’ Draco clearly didn’t understand.

‘Don’t ask me how it works, I have never studied engineering, so I haven’t a clue. But it does and it’s pretty fast, by Muggle standards.’

‘Engi-what? That sounds made up…’

‘Engineering. It’s a study of how various things are built and how they work, to put it simply.’

‘So, you take this en-something-or-other in school and you’re qualified to make a giant metal contraption and send it to the skies wit people inside? Are all Muggles suicidal?’

‘No, it’s not what you take in school.’ Harry laughed ‘It’s a university course. Like, after you graduate school, you can go to a special teaching institution that offers sort of advanced courses and things. Different universities specialize in different things - you decide what you want to do for a job and then apply for the degree that will get you there. You can go for engineering, or medicine, or law and so on. You spend a few years there, studying only the subjects that would be useful in your job and then, when you graduate, you move on to work.’

‘It sounds like Muggles spend a lot of time in school…’ Narcissa remarked. ‘I wonder if maybe we should try and borrow some of that for our system. Clearly, judging by you two, we could use some more general survival courses…’

They all laughed. When they finally arrived at Waterloo station some 90 minutes later, Narcissa was looking a bit apprehensive.

‘So, Harry, what now?’ She asked looking around hesitantly. ‘We’re in London, but how are we going to get to the Diagon Alley?’

‘Well, now we have two options. Either we get a cab, which is more expensive, or if you’re up for some more adventures, we can take the Underground.’ Harry smiled.

‘The Underground?’ Draco looked unimpressed. ‘So we walk in sewer lines?’

Once again, Harry found his fiancée’s confusion thoroughly amusing. He briefly explained what Underground was and after getting an enthusiastic reaction from Narcissa (she was turning into a bit of a train aficionado at this point, Harry thought) they made their way towards the stop. It didn’t go entirely smoothly, however, because Draco had a little bit of a freak-out in the middle of the escalator ride and Harry had to assure him it was completely normal for the stairs to move that way and they were not going to be swallowed by the gap at the top where the steps disappeared. What proved to be even more of a challenge, was a ticket machine, with both Draco and Narcissa refusing to believe that there wasn’t, in fact, a tiny person inside whose job would be to hand the tickets to the customer and who would spend their day laughing at people struggling to purchase one. Completely exhausted, Harry decided they needed a couple of minutes before they would actually get onto the subway car, so he dragged them into a little store to get something to drink. He got a can of coke, a bottle of water and some weird grape soda in an alarming shade of toxic purple, and they all sat on a bench to regain some composure. It turned out that even though wizards had their own beverages, it seemed like Draco was quickly turning into a fan of coke (his mother however, stayed on the safe side and stuck to water, proclaiming that both of the fizzy drinks were ‘too frightening’).

‘We’re getting this regularly when we move in together!’ Draco stated matter-of-factly. ‘It’s a shame it’s so small though.’

‘As you wish, my love.’ Harry grinned. ‘I’m glad you found something in the Muggle world you enjoy. And they do sell this in bigger bottles.’

‘They do? Why didn’t you get one of those then?’

‘Pace yourself, Draco, or you’ll want to stay here forever. We can get more later, it’s no good when it’s warm. Besides, I didn’t know if you’ll enjoy this. Now, are we ready to continue?’

‘I think we are.’ Narcissa stood up before Draco had a chance to object to the notion that he might want to live amongst Muggles.

And so they went on. The Underground ride was uneventful, but when they got out of the station at Charing Cross Road (Draco having been considerably calmer on the escalator this time, although still not completely convinced he wasn’t going to end up wherever it was the steps went), Narcissa clutched Harry’s jacket in fright at the sight of the cars speeding by.

‘What is this?’ She asked in a whisper, eyes wide.

‘That is a road. We need to get to the other side to reach the Leaky Cauldron.’

‘Well, that much I know actually, I’m not completely oblivious, but why are they going so fast? How do they know where to go and how not to hit the others? And how on Earth are we getting to the other side?!’ It was clear she was starting to panic. Draco, on the other hand, seemed intrigued by the moving cars.

‘See those stripes on the ground? And those signs by the side? That’s how they know where the lanes are and which goes where. There is a whole course in Muggle driving, you need to pass an exam and get a special permission to go on the road. It’s surprisingly safe if you follow the rules.’

‘There is a course?’ Draco lightened up with excitement. ‘And can anyone take it?’

‘You have to be seventeen to drive if I remember correctly. Why are you asking? You want to learn?’ Harry was intrigued by his boyfriend’s sudden interest in driving.

‘It looks like a lot of fun actually, I might get to it at some point. I mean, no harm in at least trying, right?’

‘I suppose. But you’d have to learn a lot of stuff before you’re actually allowed behind the wheel. Now, let’s go find the Cauldron!’ Looking at Narcissa’s still worried expression, Harry realized he never actually explained how he was going to get them safely to the other side. ‘See those wide stripes going across the road? That’s where you cross. And those lights up there tell the drivers that they need to stop because people are coming through.’ They reached the crossing and Harry pointed out the pedestrian signal. ‘When that one turns green, the one above us, for the cars, will turn red. Red means stop, green means go, so we get a go ahead to cross while the drivers are told to stop and wait. It’s all connected and it happens automatically. Do you understand?’ Narcissa nodded, but she was still clutching Harry’s jacket fearfully.

When they finally reached the Leaky Cauldron, Narcissa breathed a sigh of relief. The bar was empty so they stood there for a minute before continuing on to the Diagon Alley.

‘Whew, that was intense…’ She whispered once the brick wall behind them was solid again. ‘I thought we were going to die out there, honestly. Harry, dear, thank you so much for getting us here safely.’

‘No problem.’ Harry smiled.

‘Oh, don’t be so dramatic, mother, it was…’ But suddenly Draco fell silent, whitening while looking at the cobblestone street. Harry followed his gaze.

Diagon Alley looked like a Muggle photograph. People stopped dead in their tracks, in complete silence, looking at the three figures that just arrived. It was obvious nobody was expecting The Chosen One to show up with two of the most famous ex-Death Eaters. Narcissa stood rooted to the spot, while Draco made a move that seemed like he wanted to turn around and run from the place. Harry raised his head high and wrapped his arm around Draco.

‘No. Don’t do it. I love you, I’m not ashamed of this and I will not run because someone sees us together.’ He said calmly, quiet enough that only the Malfoys heard him. ‘We’re doing this and if someone has a problem with it, it’s theirs to deal with. I am not, and will not, be apologizing for who I’m with.’

‘But, Harry…’ Draco was shaking.

‘No buts, Draco. Screw all of them.’

They all walked through the quiet street while people were turning their heads behind them. Narcissa was slowly regaining her composure, but Draco seemed like he was shaken to his very core. Harry never let go of him, gently pulling him closer for support from time to time. Harry and Draco left Narcissa at Flourish and Blotts to look for some new herbology books and continued on alone.

When they reached Madame Malkin’s Draco loosened a little. The store was empty so there were no prying eyes disturbing them – at least not until the door opened and Dean Thomas entered, holding hands with none other than Ginny Wesley.

‘Well, well, well…’ Dean had a mixture of amusement and disgust painted on his face.

‘Hello, Dean’ Harry said courtly, grabbing Draco’s hand.

‘I see you really are moving on with whatever this is.’ Dean said. ‘And I was so naïve I thought it was just a phase…’

‘Well, it’s not. And who I am or am not with is, frankly, none of your business.’

‘So the rumours are true, then? You and… him? You really are getting married?’

‘We are. What’s it to you anyway?’ Draco sprung back to life.

‘Exactly, Dean, why do you care?’ Suddenly Ginny seemed to be on their side.

‘Seriously, Ginny? You’re going against me on this? I thought after all the things you and… After all that went on, you’d be supporting me!’ Dean was shocked.

‘Me and who? Me and Harry?’ She was getting clearly irritated. ‘That’s ancient history. And I was against this, but I talked to Ron and he opened my eyes to some things. I don’t care who’s with whom, as long as they’re happy. Oh, anyway, guys, I believe I never properly congratulated you both! I’m really happy for you!’ She hugged Harry and after a brief moment of hesitation, flung her arms around Draco’s neck. ‘What are you doing here anyway? I heard through the grapevine you’ve fallen off of the face of the Earth!’

‘We’re staying at the Manor for now, with my mum.’ Draco said quietly. ‘She insisted she needed to teach us how to feed ourselves and stuff before we…’

‘Oh, so you’re moving in together? Fantastic!’ Ginny seemed genuinely happy for them. ‘Where will you be living? I’m expecting a house warming bash and if there’s no invitation for me we’re going to have a serious problem, boys…’

‘We’re moving into Grimmauld Place.’ Harry smiled. It was good to have Ginny back on their side. ‘And really, we haven’t even thought about all that yet, we need to get our work situation sorted out first.’

‘Oh, yes, of course! Harry, I’m assuming you’re going through with the Auror thing, right? Ron’s applying too! Hermione’s thinking about some sort of ministry position, although if you ask me, I don’t see her behind a desk. What about you, Draco?’

‘Well…’ Draco was visibly perplexed with being addressed like that. ‘I’m thinking of a Healer training at St. Mungo’s.’

‘Oh, that’s such a cool job… Although I would’ve thought you’d be more of a law enforcement kind of person. Well, you never know, right?’ She flashed them a bright smile and pushed still sulking Dean out onto the street. ‘Write to me, guys, as soon as you get settled in London!’ She shouted before shutting the door.

‘See? It’s not so terrifying, people are warming up to us!’ Harry ruffled Draco’s hair laughing.

‘Maybe you’re right. But I’m still not completely convinced everyone will be as pleasant as the Weasleys.’

They both got their new robes (Harry’s in black and Draco’s, obviously, in deep, emerald green) and headed back towards the bookstore where they left Narcissa. This time, all three of them opted to apparate back home – the day was too eventful to battle Muggle transportation again.

***

It was already August when both Harry and Draco finally received responses to the job applications they’ve sent weeks prior. Harry was offered a year-long training position in the Auror office under the leadership of John Dawlish, without having to undergo formal testing and training (Harry suspected that his actions during the war seemed enough for the Ministry to forgo the official path of career in his case and he hoped Ron would receive the same treatment).

Draco’s letter, however, was much less promising.

> _Dear Mr. Malfoy,_
> 
> _Following your recently-sent application for a Healer Apprenticeship Programme at St. Mungo’s Wizarding Hospital, we regret to inform you that we cannot accept your candidacy solely on the basis of the documentation provided._
> 
> _Following recent events, we have instituted a strict screening programme for all of the candidates for any of the practical positions we offer. That includes, but is not limited to, the Healer Apprentice position._
> 
> _If you wish to follow up your application with the documentation required (list enclosed on page 2), we will be awaiting your owl by no later than August 31 st._
> 
> _Sincerely,_
> 
> _St. Mungo’s Wizarding Hospital_

On the second piece of parchment, there was a list of additional documentation they needed:

> _To be considered for a Healer Apprentice position, a candidate must provide:_
> 
>   1. _A signed application form,_
>   2. _A copy of N.E.W.T. grade transcript (or an equivalent of such, gained at a School of Witchcraft and Wizardry other than Hogwarts, translated into English language),_
>   3. _A sign affidavit, containing information on any criminal, legally binding, sentences received by the applicant within a period of 5 years prior the date of the application – please note that any criminal charges pressed against a candidate that did not result in sentencing (ex. the applicant was declared innocent) do not exclude the candidate from consideration automatically, but might be of importance if there’s a limited number of positions available._
>   4. _Two sworn character references, signed by members of British Wizarding Community – please note that the signatories of said character references must be of age and cannot be related (either directly or by marriage) to the applicant._
> 

> 
> _NOTE: If the applicant has already provided St. Mungo’s Wizarding Hospital with any of the documentation required, the aforementioned need only be supplemented by the documentation lacking._

‘Well, I’m screwed…’ Draco was almost crying.

‘Why? What are you talking about?’ Harry had a gut feeling what Draco was going to say next, but decided to keep his fiancée’s spirits up at all costs.

‘I’ve been charged with war crimes!’

‘But you were acquitted. It says on the list that the charges themselves don’t mean anything.’

‘Yeah, because they’re going to take me over literally anyone else…’ Draco said glumly. ‘And besides, where am I going to find character references? I’m not exactly friends with anyone who they would consider helpful to my case…’

‘Oh, well, thank you for your faith in me, my future husband!’ Harry was offended by the fact that Draco didn’t even seem to consider him as a character reference. ‘If they don’t take my word for you into consideration, they’re just stupid.’

‘Yeah, but it says I need two. As amazing as you are, you’re just one person. And who do I go to for the other one? Nott? Pansy? Don’t make me laugh…’

‘What about Hermione? Or Ron? They’ll be good for your case, you know it.’

‘Like they would do that for me, sure…’

‘I’m sure either of them would be happy to do it. They’re supportive of us, you know it. Ron has even converted Ginny to our side and believe me, that couldn’t have been easy.’

‘Yeah, but it doesn’t mean they would do this!’ Draco was fully crying by now.

‘You are definitely not giving up right now! You’re many things, Draco, but I’ll bet my own life you’re not a quitter.’

‘Well, don’t bet it just yet, because I feel rather shitty right now…’

‘Fine. If you want to sit here and mope, go ahead. I, on the other hand, am fully set of getting you this job.’ With that, Harry marched over to the living room to try and find Ron and Hermione by way of Floo network.

He decided to start with the Burrow, since even if they weren’t there someone was bound to know how to get a hold of them. He stuck his head into the fireplace and seconds later he was staring at the Weasley’s living room. It was Molly who noticed him first.

‘Harry, dear, what’s going on?’ She exclaimed upon seeing him.

‘Hello, Mrs. Wesley, are Ron and Hermione there by any chance?’

‘Yes, they’re in the garden, I’ll have Ginny fetch them. Is everything all right? Where are you anyway? I thought your house wasn’t hooked up to the network…’

‘It isn’t, I’m at the Malfoy Manor with Draco.’ He wasn’t sure if Mrs. Wesley knew about their relationship, but telling the truth felt like the right thing to do.

‘Oh, yes, I heard, Ron mentioned something about you two…’ There was a brief shadow on her face. ‘So you two are really serious?’

‘We are Mrs. Wesley. In fact, we’re getting married.’ He noticed the expression on her face and quickly added: ‘We talked a lot, both with Draco and Mrs. Malfoy, and they have really come a long way since the war. I know you probably have your reservations and I understand them, but I’m happy and I’d really like for this to work out, you know?’

‘Well, I suppose…’ She hesitated. ‘Frankly, Harry, I’m still not convinced about all of this, but then again, I don’t really know Draco or his mother…’

‘I know, Mrs. Wesley. And I’d really like to change that at some point – you’ve always been like a mother to me, so it would mean a lot to me if you could stand by us…’ He was interrupted by Ron and Hermione rushing in. Molly saw them, sent Harry a slightly saddened smile and left.

‘Harry, great news!’ Hermione clearly couldn’t contain her excitement. ‘Ron has been offered a position in the Auror office and I’ll be a Junior Undersecretary in International Magical Cooperation!’

‘Wow, awesome! Congratulations! I’m going to the Auror office too, and Draco…’ He saddened. ‘Well, Draco is actually what I wanted to talk to you about.’

‘What happened?’ Ron looked worried.

‘Well, he applied for the healer job at St. Mungo’s and… and they requested character references. Some new policy or something. He needs two – I’m going to write one, but he can’t have his mother or any of his old friends from Slytherin do the other. So, I thought about you two. You know, if you have the time, maybe you could… But it’s fine if you don’t want to, we’re going to figure something out if…’

‘Harry, don’t be ridiculous! Of course we’ll do it!’ Hermione interrupted.

‘Yeah, mate, no problem!’ Ron was beaming with excitement. ‘But honestly, I think it’s better if you have Hermione do it, she’s way better than me at this sort of thing. Tell you what, why don’t you two come over this evening and we’ll work this out? MOOOOOM!!!’ He bellowed into the house. ‘Can Harry and Draco come over this evening? We have something important to do!’ He waited for a second and turned to Harry. ‘She says it’s fine. So, come by around seven and we’ll talk?’

‘Yeah, sure!’ Harry smiled. ‘See you then!’

Harry got up and turned around. Draco was standing behind him, looking scared, tears still glistening in his eyes.

‘You’re getting a character reference from Hermione’ Harry smiled and hugged the blonde. ‘Oh, and we’re going to the Weasleys at 7 o’clock. Brace yourself though, once Molly warms up to you, you’ll be force fed and there will be no protesting.’

***

That evening, Harry and Draco spun out of the fireplace at Ron’s house. The Burrow looked exactly the same as it always have – cluttered, full of strange noises coming from every corner but warm and welcoming like no other place could. Harry inhaled deeply and sighed. It has been far too long since he’s been here. He grabbed Draco’s hand, smiled at him reassuringly and dragged him to the kitchen. He stood in the doorway, Draco behind his back looking uncharacteristically timid, and smiled brightly when Molly, Arthur, Ron, Hermione and Ginny turned their heads in his direction. Within seconds he was being hugged and patted on the back.

‘Harry!’ Arthur greeted him. ‘It’s been too long! We’ve missed you!’ his glance went to Draco ‘And this must be Mr. Malfoy Jr.! Arthur Wesley, hello, welcome to our home!’ It was a bit stiff, but nothing Harry wouldn’t foresee – after all, Ron’s and Draco’s fathers weren’t exactly friends.

‘Good evening Mr. Wesley, thank you for having us.’ Draco was still apprehensive as him and Harry were being led to the table.

‘So, boys, Ron’s telling me you two are… how do you young people say it? _An item_ now, is that right?’ Molly spoke as they sat down.

‘Yes, Mrs. Wesley, we’ve been together for some time now and we’re moving in together once the jobs start.’

‘And where are you staying now?’ Arthur inquired.

‘With my mother.’ Draco said quietly, not raising his eyes from the tabletop. ‘She’s been, well, quite alone now that…’ He paused. It was clear he didn’t want to finish that particular thought.

‘Oh, I see…’ Arthur’s expression was unreadable. ‘And have you visited…’ He paused, just like Draco did.

‘Lucius? No.’ Draco went stiff at the mention of his father. ‘I don’t want to, if I’m being honest. I don’t want nothing to do with him after all he put mother and I through.’ Suddenly there were tears in his eyes – he looked like something broke inside of him right at that moment, like he himself got broken. ‘We never wanted what happened, mother and I. I know it’s probably nothing after all that happened, but I just wanted to say I’m sorry. I know it mends nothing, but I just want you to know that I never wanted to be a part of this. And I know my mum didn’t either. We were just following where father went, we didn’t think we had any other choice. We both just wanted to stick together and we decided to just be there in the background, you know, to still be together as a family. Now I know that it was a wrong thing to do, that if father wanted to do what he did, we should’ve just left. But it wasn’t easy – mother loved him, despite what he was, and I was just raised to want to be like him, it was imprinted in me for years. I only started thinking for myself shortly before it all began and by then it was too late.’ Draco was crying, hiding his face in his hands. ‘I was stupid, I realize that now, I made all the wrong choices I could have. I’m sorry. I know you’ll probably never forgive me for all the hurt I’ve caused, but I just needed to tell you that it was never my intention to do it. I never imagined it would all turn out this way.’

There was complete silence at the table. Harry was stroking Draco’s hair, while the Weasleys and Hermione were looking at their own hands. After a while, Draco wiped his tears and spoke again.

‘I’m really sorry for this. I shouldn’t have. I’m really grateful that you invited me here with Harry but I think you’d rather spend this evening without me.’ He pushed his chair back to leave, but was promptly stopped by Molly standing up.

‘Nonsense, dear.’ She spoke in the same tone she used on Harry when he refused another helping of food. ‘You’re always welcome here, just as any of our friends are!’

‘Exactly, Draco.’ Arthur chimed in. ‘None of this is your fault. You were just a child, you were lead by what your father taught you. And what you said just now proves to me, and I think that to my wife as well, that you are not your father. In fact, you seem like a complete opposite. Lucius would never say those things, even if he didn’t mean them.’

‘Well, that you’re right about.’ Draco smiled hesitantly. ‘He’d never say that. I’m really trying to be my own person but it’s not easy, not after years of being raised like I was.’

‘And that is exactly why we’re taking you under our wing, dear!’ Molly exclaimed. ‘You seem like you could use some warmth, if you’ll forgive my expression. Now, I don’t know what you’ve been fed with so far, but you’re starting to look thinner than Harry and we cannot let you go on like that!’ Everyone laughed. Harry sent an _I told you so_ look to Draco and was happy to see him loosening up considerably.

By the end of the evening, it seemed like Draco was accepted into the Weasley clan completely. They left the Burrow well fed, with a box of Molly’s cookies and an invitation for tea for Narcissa, Draco clutching not one, but two character reference letters (Arthur insisted that since everyone knew of their relationship by now, it would look better if he was to write one along with Hermione).

***

Summer was nearing an end and Draco was getting more and more nervous about his job prospects. He had sent the required paperwork almost immediately after getting his references, but August was almost over and he hasn’t received any response yet.

Then, on August 29th, an owl flew through the window while they were having breakfast, holding a thick, very official-looking envelope. Draco opened it with shaky hands and read out loud.

> _Dear Mr. Malfoy,_
> 
> _Following your application for a Healer Apprentice position at St. Mungo’s Wizarding Hospital, we are pleased to inform you that a hiring committee has chosen to offer you a two year contract in the department of your choosing._
> 
> _The starting pay is 20 galleons per week – if you wish to undertake duties additional to your baseline job description (including, but not limited to, additional hours and/or desk duties), the pay will be adjusted accordingly._
> 
> _The schedule of your work will be determined by your supervisor (to be assigned upon your arrival at St. Mungo’s Wizarding Hospital) and may amount to 40-60 hours per week, including both Day and Night shifts._
> 
> _Please be informed, that while St. Mungo’s Wizarding Hospital provides all their employees with protective equipment and work attire, accommodation is not provided. If you are in need of any assistance obtaining accommodation, please contact the Employee Department as soon as possible._
> 
> _If you choose to accept the position offered, please report to St. Mungo’s Wizarding Hospital (Room 101A, ground floor, corridor B) on Sept. 1 st at 8 o’clock._
> 
> _Sincerely,_
> 
> _St. Mungo’s Wizarding Hospital_

‘Fantastic!’ Harry was really happy for Draco. ‘Know what department you want to go into yet?’

‘I was thinking Magical Accidents, there’s apparently a lot of stuff going on there all the time, so it sounds like a good place for me.’ Draco smiled. He was feeling truly happy and serene right now. ‘But I’m still debating.’

‘I think accidents sounds like a job for you, Draco’ Narcissa was beaming.

‘I think I best owl Arthur and Hermione’ Draco said. ‘You know, to thank them for their recommendations. I couldn’t have done it without their help.’

***

The next two days were spent packing and laughing as Draco and Harry got ready to leave the Manor and move in to Grimmauld Place on their own. On the last day of August they were all ready to go, equipped with some of Narcissa’s homecooked meals (‘Because you’ll be too busy running around like excited children to cook!’) and a couple of bottles of Coca-Cola Harry got as a surprise for Draco. They were escorted out of the gate by a very moved (and very teary-eyed) Narcissa and got ready to go start their lives as adults.

They apparated outside Grimmauld Place a short while later, and climbed the stairs to the front door. Standing there, Harry grabbed Draco’s hand and raised his wand to lift the protective enchantments they’ve set in place.

‘Ready for this?’ Harry asked smiling.

‘As ready as I’ll ever be’ Draco smiled back and they went into the house ready to begin their new life together.

**Author's Note:**

> The boys are becomig full adults!  
> Full disclosure: several parts of the baking adventure were loosely based on my own (very much failed, several times in fact) attempts at making a pie - although I have never confused lard with cream, that one is made up :D. Oh, and as for the train toilet thing - I have absolutely zero idea how those look in Britain, so I just borrowed the technology from where I live (yes, "stuff" falling onto the train tracks is the real thing, however disgusting that sounds - remember: NEVER take pictures lying down on the tracks, you never know what's really there).  
> And I do realize Draco quoting Cesar is kind of shaky, since it's clearly Muggle history, but I couldn't help myself :D.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!


End file.
